Protector boot for gear-shift levers



Oct. 6, 1925.l 1,556,296

H. E. MITCHELL PaoTEcTon oom` ron GEAR SHIFT Lvsns und sept. 15. 1924 v l f3 mf Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNIIEDJSTATES IIARRYE. ivIITCIInIlL, or SAN FRANCISCO, Ci'ILIroItnIa.v

PROTECTOR Boor.` `ron YGEAR-SHIFT Lnvnns.

Application lediSeptember 15., 1924. Serial No. 737,828.

To all whom t may concern.' f

Be it known that I, 'HARRY E. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, inthe county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protector Boots for Gear-Shiftllevers, of which the following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in protector boots for gear shift levers and the transmission lock associated therewith, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and efficient means for protecting the clothes of .the person operating an automobile fromcoming in contact with the grease contained within the ball and socket connection and the lower portion of the gear shift lever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector boot of the above mentioned character, which will not only protect the operators clothes from becoming soiled, but will also prevent any foreign substance entering the ball and socket of the gear shift lever.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a protector boot of the above mentioned character, which willfcompletely vention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a. part of this specification, and in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the protector boot embodying my invention, showing the same in use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken approximately on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l designates generally my improved protector boot, and the same comprises apiece of leather 2, which is of.l U-shapedconligurw tion in top plan, the. upper edges of the side of the U-shaped leather piece 2 being out away, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

An additional strip of leather 3 is disposed between the upper free edges of the-.Ue shaped member 2 and the edges of the strip 3 are disposed outwardly, as illustrated at 4, and are fined to the inner side portion of the leather member 2 as is illustrated at 5.

posed adjacent the` groundportion ,of the U-shaped leather member 2 is provided with.

an opening G through which extends the gear shift lever 7. rIhe lower portion of the gear shift lever including the ball and socket connection designated generallyV by the numeral 8, is disposed within the boot as also clearly illustrated in Figure 1. The forward portion of the U-shapcd leather member 2 and the forward portion of the cover strip 3 completely encases the transmission lock designated generally by the numeral 9, which is associated with the gear shift lever, in the well known manner.

Access to the gear shift lock 9 by the insertion of a key therein is had by providing an opening l() in the cover strip 3, and a pivoted flap 11 normally keeps the opening 10 closed. y

In order to support the leather boot in proper position around the lower portion ofthe gear shift lever, and the transmission lock therefor, asubstantially metallic reinforcing plate, such as is shown at 12, is disposed on the innerl side of the leather boot, and this reinforcing plate is of the same con# figuration as the U-sha-ped leather boot 2,

vthe upper edge of the metallic reinforcing plate terminating at a point below thedownwardly turned side edges 5 of the cover strip 3.`

The protector boot is secured in position over the lower portion of the gear shift lever and the transmission lock by means of the plate 13 which is adapted to be secured onV the floor board of the motor vehicle below the usual corset or covering for the floor board and the plate 13 is provided with an upstanding flange 14, which is secured to the inner side of the leather boot 2 and the metallic reinforcing plate 12, as at 15.

The provision of a protector boot of the above mentioned character is especially de- The portion of the strip 3 which is disL i signed for preventing the clothes of the operator of the auto-mobile from coming in contact with the grease around the lower portion of the gear shift lever, and furthermore will prevent any dirt from coming in contact with the grease, which often results in serious injury to the transmission mechanism. A device of the above mentioned character is especially adapted for use upon automobiles, which are driven by ladies,

whereby their skirts will not be soiled from the grease around the ball and socket and the gear shift lever. A protector boot of the above mentioned character may furthermore be readily and easily placed in position over the lower portion of a gear shift lever, and will not, in any way, interfere with the operation of the lever.

Vfhile I have shown the preferred einbodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A protector boot for gear shift levers comprising a substantially U-shaped casing extending around the lower portion of the lever, a covering strip having the side edges thereof disposed downwardly and fixed to the inner face of the U-shaped casing7 said covering strip having an opening through which the gear shift lever projects and a U-shaped reinforcing plate secured to the inside of the casing.

2. A protector boot comprising a substantially U-shaped casing, a covering strip having the side edges thereof disposed downwardly and fixed to the inner face of the U-shaped casing, said covering strip having an opening, a U-shaped reinforcing plate secured to the inside of the casing, and an attaching plate having an upwardly disposed iiange thereon secured to the inner side of the reinforcing plate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY E. MITCHELL. 

